St Oliver Plunkett 1-14 v Round Tower 0-5
A strong final quarter from St Oliver Plunkett brought about a resounding victory in this Junior A Football Championship clash, writes Mick McGlynn. Despite being on the backfoot from the start, Towers were trailing by just three points with 18 minutes remaining. The half-time score had the home side in command with a 0-6 v 0-1 lead. Towers struggled to create good opportunities to shoot for a point, with efforts coming in from either flank or dropping short from distance with attackers under pressure. The home side were quick to settle kicking four excellent points within the opening ten minutes. They led 0-6 to no score before Denis Macken kicked the Towers opener from a free after he had been fouled on the 30 metre line following a pass from Dermot Milton.
The opening quarter of the second half offered the most promise for Towers. Plunketts pointed straight from restart but then kicked three wides. Towers capitalised for a period. Tom Curran won ball in the corner and was pulled back and Niall Lanigan kicked the subsequent free. Substitute Craig Curtis made an excellent block to prevent a goal and keep Towers in contention and a push on substitute Joey Murphy’s back led to another Lanigan pointed free. Towers best move of the match came from a Dean Alford kick-out to Michael Cleary in the half-backs and it was worked inside to Curran and Shane Byrne, Niall Corless and Shane Boland made inroads around a crowded 21 before a free was awarded and pointed by Lanigan. A break in play for an injury that saw the influential Plunkett’s centre half forward forced off seemed to refocus the home side and distract the visitors at two points were kicked within two minutes of the restart. 0-9 v 0-4 ahead it was Towers needing the goal but Plunkett’s got it when a high ball into a swirling wind was broken and finished to the net by onrushing attacker. The home side kicked some excellent points from difficult angles in the remaining minutes and it was Fergus Callaly who kicked a Towers consolation after Davey McCarthy and Lanigan combined to set him up.
Round Tower: Dean Alford, Barry Finn, David Chapman, David Clarke, Michael Cleary, Niall Corless, Paul Clifford, Patrick Stynes, Fergus Callaly, Niall Lanigan, Tom Curran, Shane Boland, Dermot Milton, Shane Byrne, Denis Macken. Used subs: Craig Curtis, Niall Cassidy, Joey Murphy, Cónán Ó Broin, Davey McCarthy, Alan Gavin.
